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Pella Christian, Pella Community Students Taking Part in ‘National History Day’

Students from around the area will be in Pella Wednesday to take part in National History Day.

“National History Day is a national competition that was started to encourage students to get more involved in history, make it more personal and make it come alive,” says Pella Christian High School Teacher/Librarian Cheri Haveman. “Students choose a topic, they research it very thoroughly, and have different options of how they want to present what they’ve learned.”

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Wednesday’s event is one of several district competitions being held around the state and will include students from Pella Christian High School and Pella Community Middle School and High School. The topic criteria are selected by a national panel, with this year’s theme as “Innovation in History: Impact and Change.” Haveman says the students who participate tend to find it to be a challenging, but rewarding experience.

“It’s a lot of work, so I hear that a lot,” said Haveman. “But I think they get that sense of accomplishment once it’s finished that they really spent a lot of time working on something and feeling really good about the end result.”

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Forty-three students from Pella Christian High School will enter projects at the National History Day district competition, while Pella Middle School is sending 15 students, and one student from Pella Community High School will also compete. The Central College’s Graham Conference Center will host the district National History Day Event, which begins Wednesday morning. Those given top marks in Wednesday’s district competition will advance to the state competition, which will be held at the State Historical Building in Des Moines late next month.